Lenticular
technology is a high resolution imaging process developed
for the purpose of creating multi-imaging visual effects
such as 3Dimensionality or animation.

This is achieved through four key elements of the production
process.

1.
Lenticular lens:

The lenticular sheet contains a precise parallel array of lenticules or lenses.
Each lens is capable of magnifying data.
The lens sheet is optically clear with a smooth reverse side where appropriate image is printed.

2.
Digital art:

a.
Origination: Any lenticular effect must be created
from at least two complete in scale files. For example,
a two image flip starts out as two separate files.

An animation can incorporate
more files such as four, eight or twelve, which covers
the sequence of the proposed animation.A 3dimensional
image works best with at least twelve separate files
covering the spectrum of the prospective 3dimensional
environment.

b.
Interlacing: The art must be divided precisely among
all the lenses that make up the final image size. The
original images are actually sliced to fit into spaces
equal to the width of each lens. For example a two image
flip would be made with one-half of all the lenses containing
image no.1 while the other half of all the same lenses
would contain image no.2.

The process of interleaving
the original files into the master which will match
precisely to the pitch (number of lenses per inch) of
the lens is called interlacing.

3.
Output:

a.
in lithographic printing the image is printed direct
to the lenticular lens. This would require films to
be output from an image setter. This again is a high
resolution process requiring precise calibration.

b.
Other methods of reproduction are for example digital
photographic or inkjet where the interlaced master is
output as a finished image which then needs to be laminated
to the reverse of the lens in a separate adhesive process.

4.
Printing:

The most common method accounting for over 90% of the
lenticular imaging in the world today is direct to lens
lithographic printing. From high resolution films, plates
can be exposed and positioned in precise register on a
four colour process press.

Most presses available in this
category are in fact likely to be 6 colours, allowing
a blanket background white to be printed in the same pass.
Usually a more opaque white needs to added later after
the inks are dry; there are many methods of doing this
(UV ink, silk screen, laminated cover stock or thermal
laminated polypropylene).

Prepress
process:

Software:

Photoshop
- we can supply interlacing scripts for Photoshop/Mac
, Email
us for more information.

Quark

Illustrator

Get Lenticular Software :

Memory
(RAM)

minimum we would recommend is 500MB which will be
laborious, an Apple G5 would likely have 1GB which
would be fine. Use maximum RAM on operating unit,
and have additional Hard Drive as a scratch disk
on the side.

Image
setter:

minimum 300 line screen to achieve reasonable quality,
best quality is available using 400 line screen.

standard
film is .004" thick, while .007" film is recommended
for dimensional stability. Note: When converting
to .007 film from .004, the colour laser heads would
need to be reset.

Proofing:

we
have found that 3M Imation match print system is
the best. It is extremely stable whereas other systems
such as Fuji are guaranteed to expand and contract
requiring compensation. Commercial grade Imation
paper is good while 'Low Gain' Imation stock is
excellent, sometimes better than what is achievable
on press.

Here for your review a description of the process of interlacing.

A.
File Preparation:

Depending on the type of effect desired you will have determined
the number of files you will create to illustrate this effect.
For example, a basic flip (one image changing to another
image) is simply two files. An animation can be any number
of files ranging from two (a flip) to a recommended maximum
of twelve depending on the type of action and the number
of files which would work best for that animation. A morph
is considered an animation and twelve would be appropriate.
A 3D image would require at least twelve files to be minimally
effective while we could recommend twenty files if your
equipment could manage the data and outputs. Whatever the
final number, all the files must be scaled to the exact
same size and resolution before interlacing.

Sufficient bleed must be built in especially for 3D where
the viewing angle will require extra (horizontal) data.
The minimal final resolution is determined by the three
variables of a) the lens design, b) the number of files
you are employing, and c) the output capability of your
image setter. For example, a 75 LPI lens (75 lenticules
per inch) employing a twelve file animation or 3D image
would create a pixel count of 900 per inch (75 x 12 =
900). To transfer this digital data accurately to film
and to plate and finally to the lens substrate, an accurate
multiplier of 900 PPI (pixels per inch) must be found
on the image setter (for example: 1800, 2700, 3600, 4500
DPI (dots per inch). Should an exact multiplier not be
available on the image setter, you would first interlace
your files to the highest resolution available on your
files, and then the interlaced master could be 'res'd
down' (reduce resolution) to match the output capability
of the image setter. It is critical that the data (the
pixels that are sourced from your files) fit precisely
into the lens. By following these procedures you will
be able to calibrate the data properly.

B.
Interlacing:

This is the process of taking the data from the files and
reorganizing it to fit precisely into the lenticules which
make up the lens array of the lenticular sheet. It is best
to explain this process with a simple example such as in
the case of a basic flip. The technology of lenticular is
based on the ability of the lens to magnify data which has
been placed underneath it. There is room at the bottom of
the lens to place a lot of data depending on the size (resolution)
of that data. In the case of a basic flip we only need to
put two bits of data, each representing one of the two images
selected which make up our final animation (a two image
flip). Since we have determined that the lens design we
are planning to print to is a 75 LPI, we now know the width
of the lens is one-seventy-fifths of an inch (.0133").

The two images of the flip must fit into this space, so
we will create in Photoshop a mask which will alternately
cut and save half a lenticule of data, and then block
the other half lenticule of data. If the lenticule measures
precisely .0133" wide, the mask will be made up of 'openings'
and 'blocks' which measure half of this size or .00665"
wide each. The mask is used to grab the desired data from
image A and save it into a master file, then grab the
desired data from image B and save it in the same master
file next to image A. The master file is now complete,
and in theory if this master file was output through the
image setter, the resulting films (or match print proofs)
could be layed under the lens and you would witness the
flip working in alternate viewing positions.